Helen Lindley
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helenlindley.bsky.social
Helen Lindley
@helenlindley.bsky.social
1.2K followers 150 following 490 posts
Sings folk songs. Plays fiddle. Writes songs & tunes. Reviver of old songs (see Sing Yonder books & In The Roud podcast). Hear my music on Bandcamp & YouTube.
https://helenlindleymusic.com/
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helenlindley.bsky.social
Another @intheroud.bsky.social recording with @mattquinnmusic.bsky.social completed (this might be linked with my previous post!). Out soon for you all to listen to!
#InTheRoud #folksong #Podcast
Image shows Helen Lindley and Matt Quinn recording an episode of the In The Roud podcast. Helen is wearing a pink jacket and sits on the left of screen in front of a microphone whilst Matt, also in front of a microphone, wears a blue shirt and a set of over the ear headphones. Both have shelves of books behind them and Helen also has a fiddle, a concertina and a keyboard behind her.
November 19, 2025 at 12:30 AM
helenlindley.bsky.social
I finished writing/re-setting a folk ballad last night and recorded it today. This one was a request and one of the harder ones to complete. There were 5 historical text versions to consult and no known tune. After several lyric rewrites and similar number of melody revisions, it's done!
#folkmusic
Image shows a laptop screen with a music recording programme on the display. There are visual soundwaves in blue against a black desktop. The song was written by a real person with pen, paper, a voice, and occasionally a fiddle. Proudly none of that AI stuff got anywhere near it!
November 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
That was a wonderful night at Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre for The Wassail tour of @elizacarthy.bsky.social and @jonboden.bsky.social. Eliza reciting a Marriott Edgar monologue made me cry a little. But it was all brilliant and I recommend you see the tour if you can! More info at thewassail.com
Image shows a stage with 3 microphones at the front and 3 lit-up Christmas trees at the rear. There are also 3 fiddles, a guitar, a concertina, and 2 melodeons. Image shows Eliza Carthy standing at the front of a stage with an arm outstretched. She was pretending to hypnotise the audience. Behind her is Jon Boden standing with a concertina in his hands. Image shows Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden singing on a stage. Jon is holding a concertina. Behind Eliza is a Christmas tree. Image shows Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden on a stage. Jon is playing a concertina and Eliza is playing fiddle. Behind Eliza are 2 Christmas trees.
November 15, 2025 at 11:44 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
I finished the first draft of the latest folk song re-setting last week. Time for the second draft. And then there's the melody to compose, although thankfully I have some voice recordings saved on my phone of some suggestions.
#folksong
Image shows a yellow pencil on a blank page of a A4 lined notepad. To the left, on a sheet of the same paper, are some partiall-obscured song lyrics. To the right is a blue cardboard folder.
November 14, 2025 at 12:40 AM
helenlindley.bsky.social
I am really loving this new album from @leveretband.bsky.social (@samsweeney.bsky.social @andycutting.bsky.social Rob Harbron). I recommend you buy it. Or add it to your Christmas list so someone buys it for you.

leveretband.bandcamp.com/album/lost-m...
#folkmusic
Image shows the new Leveret cd entitled Lost Measures. The cd cover shows a countryside theme.
November 12, 2025 at 12:30 AM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Not a bad little folk-related book haul from the charity shop!
#books
Image shows 3 books on a wooden . On the left is a book entitled French Folk Songs and Carols; in the middle is a book entitled Five English Folk Song (R Vaughan Williams); on the right is a book entitled The Ballad of John Clare by Hugh Lupton.
November 8, 2025 at 11:27 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
It's that time of year again! Time to rehearse #ChristmasCarols. But even better is that this year I'll be able to sing them in my own village, here in Lincolnshire. It seems my years of travelling to the #Sheffield Carols will indeed serve me well!
#CarolSinging 🎶
Image shows 4 books containing Christmas Carols with post-it page markers. The 4 books are The Sheffield Book of Village Carols, The Faber Book of Carols and Christmas Songs, The Oxford Book of Carols, and English Traditional Songs and Carols by Lucy Broadwood.
November 4, 2025 at 10:43 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Morning!
Image shows 5 characters from the 1970s British TV kids' show, Bod.
October 28, 2025 at 10:03 AM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Time to get back into the folk songwriting/resetting again as there's a deadline to meet!
#FolkMusic
Image shows a black and white photo of a folder, some lined paper with writing on it and a pencil. A few words of writing are visible. These are "wooed the lady", "father's hall", and "bower". In the background is a mug with a campervan image on it on a placemat. Next to the mug is another placemat with the words "Let me just drop everything and fix your shit" printed on it.
October 25, 2025 at 11:05 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Looking forward to @jonboden.bsky.social & @elizacarthy.bsky.social doing Wassail stuff on 15th Nov at Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre. I spent many happy hours as a child there as Mum was a regular performer. I never performed there and haven't even been back since I was 12, so it'll be emotional!
Images shoes Eliza Carthy (left) and Jon Boden (right) sitting to advertise their Wassail Tour.
October 22, 2025 at 10:41 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Here you are. Apparently the Ponds Forge leisure pool has a leak and has been emptied for maintenance.
(Yes, I have a deep-seated hatred of clickbait headlines too!)
Image shows information about Ponds Forge Leisure Pool which is closed after a leak was discovered. It has been emptied for maintenance.
October 22, 2025 at 10:23 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
It was so good to see the wonderful @jackieoates.bsky.social at Royal Trads last night; a beautiful voice and one of life's truly lovely people.
Thanks to @jonboden.bsky.social and volunteers for hosting. I love playing & singing with this crowd and shall miss everyone when the club takes a break.
Image shows Jackie Oates singing at a microphone. She is wearing a blue sleeveless dress and is performing at The Old Band Room at Dungworth near Sheffield.
October 12, 2025 at 6:28 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Last weekend was great fun. My birthday present (from back in June) from my sister was for the two of us to watch Les Misérables at Sondheim Theatre in London. I've wanted to see it for years and it did not disappoint. Stunning and moving and everything I hoped it would be!
#LesMisérables
Image shows the outside signage for Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre, London. Image shows the backdrop and stage for Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre, London.
September 20, 2025 at 3:36 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
When you're sitting outside a #Dorset pub with a pint and discover the river next to it is called the River Jordan you can't help but hear Bellowhead's Jordan in your head. On repeat! 😊
Image shows a shallow river in an English village. There are reeds growing on the river banks and on the left a willow tree overhangs the water. It is a sunny day and a light blue sky is visible through the trees.
August 10, 2025 at 10:53 AM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Another gorgeous night, this time with a full moon. Apparently the July #FullMoon is called the #BuckMoon.
(You can tell my age as I tend to think of it as the Buck Rogers moon! 🤭😁)
Image shows a night sky. In the background is a dark greyish blueish sky with a few clouds. A bright full moon is in the centre of the image and to the right and left are trees. In the foreground is a garden fence with a field beyond it. Image shows a zoomed-in image of the July full moon, known as the Buck Moon. The photo was taken by me, Helen.
July 10, 2025 at 11:57 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
That's a beautiful night sky out there tonight! Almost a full moon but not quite.
#NightSky
Image shows a night sky. In the background is a dark greyish blueish sky with a few clouds. A bright, almost full moon is in the centre of the image and to the right and left are trees. In the foreground is a garden fence with a field beyond it.
July 10, 2025 at 12:05 AM
helenlindley.bsky.social
A brilliant chat with @benratkinson.bsky.social on Zoom today which could lead to some future possible projects. Do check him and his music out!
#FolkMusic
Image shows a Zoom meeting between Helen Lindley and Ben Atkinson. Helen is wearing a black t-shirt and white lace jacket. Behind her is a violin and tall bookshelves and in front of her is a microphone. Ben is wearing a bright blue t-shirt and has a guitar next to him.
July 1, 2025 at 10:29 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
It looked lovely in our rural Lincolnshire garden but far too hot to sit - at 5.30pm it was still a massive 35°C (95°F). It had cooled around 9pm to a less unbearable 25°C so I sat out until 10pm when it got too dark to read without a light and the bitey bugs came out!
#Summer
Image shows a hand holding a wall thermometer in a garden on a sunny afternoon. At 5.30pm the temperature was still 35 degrees C (96 degrees F). Image shows a garden on a late summer evening as it's getting dark. There is a table in the foreground with a book on it (Mythology of the British Isles by Geoffrey Ashe). In the background it's possible to make out a fence and beyond that a dry yellow field.
July 1, 2025 at 7:46 AM
helenlindley.bsky.social
The view from the kitchen window this morning!
#sparrows
Image shows a parent sparrow feeding a young sparrow. They are both sitting on a fence and there is a field behind them.
June 19, 2025 at 8:51 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
No sooner has season 4 episode 2 of the @intheroud.bsky.social folk song podcast been released than @mattquinnmusic.bsky.social asked me back to record another one! They're great fun to do, even if we always spend so much time talking that Matt has a huge editing task 😂
##folkmusic #InTheRoud
Image shows a screenshot of Matt Quinn and Helen Lindley recording another episode of the In The Roud folk song podcast. Helen is on the left of the image and is wearing a white t shirt, silver pendant and a white, yellow, and green paisley jacket (part of her large collection of patterned jackets!) Matt is on the right of the image wearing headphones and a black T-shirt shirt. Both are sitting in front of microphones.
June 8, 2025 at 9:05 AM
helenlindley.bsky.social
A super night at Royal Traditions Folk Club near Sheffield with my folk chums. The Dungworth Singers performance was fab: many great songs - their polyphonic song gave me goosebumps. Lots of singing/playing in the session & singaround too.
Thanks to @jonboden.bsky.social & team for a great night 😊
Image shows The Dungworth Singers performing at The Old Band Room in Dungworth near Sheffield for the Royal Traditions folk club. Image shows a singaround at The Old Band Room in Dungworth near Sheffield for the Royal Traditions folk club.
June 8, 2025 at 8:38 AM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Another fine birthday present that I received on Sunday. This is what happens when your family know you like @yorkshiretea.bsky.social!
Image shows 4 boxes of Yorkshire Tea stacked in a 2x2 block. They are sitting on a wooden kitchen worktop. In the background there are kitchen utensils hanging.
June 3, 2025 at 12:34 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Here's two of my birthday gifts from this morning: more Doc Martens (this time sage green ones to add to my colourful DM collection) and a 1905 edition of Songs of the West by Sabine Baring-Gould!
#folkmusic #docmartens
Image shows a pair of Doc Martens in a sage green colour and a copy of Songs of the West by Sabine Baring-Gould which has a red cover and cream binding.
June 1, 2025 at 3:20 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
When you find a bargain on the charity shop bookshelves, have to buy it, and then sit in the sun to read it! I already have the previous book to this, but this old copy of Children’s Songs of Long Ago by Moffat and Kidson is a very lovely thing. 😍
Image shows an old copy of Children’s Songs of Long Ago by Alfred Moffat and Frank Kidson. The book has a bright red cover, gold lettering for the title and authors, and images of a fox, a boy playing a bugle, and a lady with a shepherd's crook, all coloured in black, white, and a darker red. The book is sitting on a black table. In the background is a green field surrounded by a wooden fence. Beyond that are some trees, a hill, and a cloudy sky, although the book appears to be in sunshine.
May 29, 2025 at 10:01 PM
helenlindley.bsky.social
Getting ready to start the next folk song re-setting ahead of the next podcast recording!
Image shows a notebook and pencil on top of some printed folk song lyrics. In the background a black mug sits on a coaster on a dark wood coffee table and next to it is another coaster with the (sarcastic) words "Let me just drop everything and fix your shit!"
May 24, 2025 at 11:41 PM